Today, Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) welcomed Sacramento teens and representatives of the People Reaching Out (PRO) program to her Washington, D.C. office. The group was in town as a part of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Conference; the participants were chosen as a result of their volunteer work in Sacramento to fight drugs.
“Keeping our neighborhoods safe will help Sacramento continue to be a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. It was a refreshing dose of home to visit with such outstanding students, and gave me joy to hear them embody a spirit of service,” said Rep. Matsui.
The group consisted of Talon Glover and Leo Wilson, seniors at McClatchy High School; Javara Wilburn and Yvone Brikus, juniors at Valley High School; and Erican Urbani and Linda Osuroji of People Reaching Out.
The Valley High students meet monthly with the representatives from People Reaching Out to discuss their efforts to increase drug prevention across Sacramento. They are currently working on a community garden, with a focus on getting local residents involved in the planning process. They are also training with Youth in Focus to conduct polls in the community on how what issues need to be addressed to create a safer, more drug-free environment.
The students from McClatchy High School recently wrapped up a project called “Family Meals.” The program encouraged families in their community to have specific, designated family dinner time. They also filmed a Public Service Announcement on the subject.
“It is heartening to see these young adults taking such an active role in their communities. I commend their volunteer work, and the support provided by People Reaching Out. With these teenagers and their leaders as an example, people in Sacramento can see how we can all work towards building drug-free communities,” said Rep. Matsui.
The People Reaching Out program is funded by Drug Free Communities. Their main focus is drug prevention, and fostering student interest in identifying the problems caused by drug use, what drugs are most prevalent, and to develop strategies to prevent drug use.
People Reaching is a community-based nonprofit. PRO was formed in 1981 in direct response to a critical lack in resources to deal with youth substance use and violence. Since its inception, PRO has refined and expanded its programs to reflect "state of the art" prevention strategies and address the many influences that put youth at risk. The goal is to promote a healthy community by empowering youth to make healthy choices, strengthening families to guide their children away from drugs and violence, and forming effective partnerships working together to build a strong community.
Approximately 3,000 youth and families are served through People Reaching Out's comprehensive programs each year and another 10,000 are reached through outreach efforts (community events, newsletters and volunteer recruitment). PRO's programs raise community awareness and promote civic participation. Each year, over 1,000 adult and youth volunteers contribute more than 30,000 hours of service supporting PRO's programs.
The attached picture was taken in Rep. Matsui’s Washington, D.C. office. Pictured are: Talon Glover, Leo Wilson, Javara Wilburn, Rep. Doris Matsui, Yvonne Brikus, Erica Urbani, and Linda Osuroji.
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